I am continually amazed at the number of National Parks, Monuments and Historic Sites that are sprinkled across the country. I family I met at the Grand Canyon recommended the Petrified Forest National Park and hey, it was on the way so why not. I've finally gotten wise enough to check websites before charging forward and this one recommended entering at the southern gate when coming from the west. It works well, especially since what I thought was an additional entrance from the interstate is actually an underpass.
A few million years ago this area was lush forestland inhabited by dinosaurs. The trees fell, were covered in sediment and turned to stone over the next 200 million years. The landscape is still phenomenal and the park has paths through petrified forests.
The trees are cool in concept but look a lot like rocks when viewed from the outside (of the tree).
It's the inside that's amazing. Different minerals being deposited create different colors within the tree.
In a different area of the park, clay hills are lined with shades of grey.
A few years ago the park added a portion of the painted desert to its borders. When you come from the south, the desert presents itself as a magnificent pink vista that springs into view when you come over a hill. The beauty is indescribable and of course the pictures are really sad substitutes.
The park also has a pueblo settlement from several thousand years ago and a hotel (now an information center) built almost 100 years ago. If you've come to Arizona to see the Grand Canyon, take an extra day to visit this park too.
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